Department of Residence Services
Residential Communities
Resident Assistant – Employment Agreement AY 2013-2014
Welcome to the Resident Assistant (RA) position for the 2013-2014 academic year! The RA is an integral position in the
Department of Residence Services and we are excited to have you joining our team! This document serves as an overview
to the position and as an agreement between YOU and the Department for this academic year.
In carrying out the mission of the department, you are responsible for developing communities that emphasize self
awareness, support and develop relationships, engage students in learning, encourage responsible citizenship, and honor
human differences. In doing so, we count on you to assist with the administrative functions essential to the operation of
the hall community. While details about specific job expectations can be found in the staff manual, these goals are
generally accomplished by fulfilling the roles outlined below:
Role Model – Perhaps the most influential role you will have this year is that of role modeling. As the RA in a given
community you carry all of the benefits and responsibilities of being a leader among your peers. We believe that the
influence from one’s peer group is greater than from anyone else; thus we are committed to having students serve in this
role. Given this leadership role it is critical that you espouse characteristics and emulate behaviors that are in alignment
with the mission of the department. Modeling also includes upholding and personally adhering to all of the policies,
procedures, and community standards set forth for the residential communities.
Community Leader – RAs are responsible for supporting and developing relationships that help students form
connections with each other and the university. In order to facilitate community, it is critical that you are visible and
available to your floor and hall communities. Some areas you will be responsible for as a community leader include
knowing all members of the floor [section], facilitating community and roommate agreements, coordinating community
building efforts, promoting hall leadership opportunities, and fostering a strong academic climate. RAs will work with
their direct supervisor to determine community needs regarding the locations and tasks associated with their 10
scheduled weekly community hours.
Educator – We expect you to help engage students in learning by promoting their academic success. To accomplish
this we expect you will model behaviors that foster community, reinforce responsible citizenship, and honor
differences. In addition to modeling, the activities we endorse and promote demonstrate our commitment to these
values. You will be expected to create community activities and to implement academic initiatives (i.e. community study
groups, engaging students in conversations about academics, promotion of academic resources, and academically focused
programming) throughout the year.
Administrator – In order to pull everything together, RAs are expected to be competent administrators. This area
includes being present and engaged in all training, meetings, and community events. It also encompasses being timely,
completing paperwork, being available when needed, and following policies and procedures. Competency in this role is
essential in accomplishing the expectations across all roles. It is important to acknowledge that this role is often the
easiest to measure and will often serves as a gauge for whether or not other roles are being fulfilled.
Helper – As an RA, you will regularly encounter students needing assistance. These students may live on your floor or
may simply surface as a student in need while you are on duty. More often than not, your role in these situations will be to
connect the student to campus resources. As a result, we will spend considerable time and attention ensuring that you are
well versed about campus resources and accessing these tools. It is equally important to communicate issues and
concerns to your supervisor so they can intervene when necessary and offer additional resources and support. In addition,
your one-on-one appointment time provides a personal outlet for each RA to discuss stress management techniques
related to the role of serving as Helper.
Team Member – RAs are members of many communities. As members of these communities, it is our expectation that
you recognize you are part of a team and contribute accordingly. As a team member, we expect that you will contribute
positively and constructively in all settings, demonstrate care and understanding of staff colleagues, work collaboratively
Revision: June 18, 2013
with others, and seek to understand and support departmental decisions. While it is expected that you will not always
agree, it is necessary to channel dissention appropriately.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As outlined in the roles above and as demonstrated in the Leadership in Student Affairs workshop, the RA position is a
leadership role matched by few others on our campus. We are confident that you will benefit greatly from your experience
as a staff member in our department! We also know that the responsibilities for this position are vast and the demands
placed on you will be tremendous at times. While you are compensated, it is important to acknowledge that there is no
way to fully compensate you for the work you will do for students this year. With this in mind, we urge you to consider
one final time, the commitment you are making by accepting the RA position.
Position Appointment Dates
Resident Assistant appointments are made for the entire academic year. We count on RAs to provide coverage during
breaks and holidays as needed. However, we also want to ensure that you have time off as well so while you will need to
stay late and return early from winter and spring break you will have the majority of these breaks off.
Start Date: the return date for RAs begins up to two weeks prior to the first day of classes for the fall semester but
the actual appointment date (for stipend purposes) starts after that time; specific return date will be announced by
the Training and Development Committee late in the spring semester. [For AY13-14 the return date for RAs is
Sunday, August 11, 2013 unless otherwise specified for individual groups].
Winter break: RAs are expected to return from the semester break the Friday prior to the start of spring classes,
for mid-year training and to prepare the halls for spring opening.
Spring break: RAs will be released for spring recess no later than the Saturday of the spring break week and are
asked to return by the Sunday at the end of the break (unless scheduled for duty coverage prior).
End Date: The RA appointment ends for the year on the Monday following finals week.
RA appointments are for one academic year. Reappointment for the following academic year is contingent upon
performance evaluation, staffing configurations, departmental need and funding.
Compensation
Room waiver: RAs are assigned to specific hall communities based on departmental needs. You will receive a
room fee waiver for the hall you are assigned.
Meal plan: You will also receive a basic meal plan each semester, accessible through your student FLASHcard. The
meal plan is intended to supplement meal expenses throughout the year; it may not cover the cost of all meals.
The meal plan is awarded at the start of each semester so if a staff member leaves the position before the end of the
semester or is terminated; you will be responsible for any usage over the current academic year’s per-diem rate
(see RA manual for more details).
Stipend: First year RAs are paid a stipend of $350.00 per semester paid in bi-weekly installments. RAs with one
full year, or more, of experience will be paid $375.00 per semester. Stipends begin after fall training.
Training accommodations: many (but not all) meals and housing will be provided for training periods.
Outside Employment: Due to the live-in nature of the job and the necessary close and continuous contact with students,
outside employment of any kind is discouraged. REQUESTS for exceptions must be discussed with and approved in writing
by the respective Residence Hall Director/Assistant Director prior to accepting an outside employment opportunity. No
exceptions will be made for RAs during their first semester of employment. If approved there will be a limit of up to
ten (10) hours per week for additional employment, providing that the requestor is not on job probation or grade
probation during the current semester of additional employment. University policy limits student employment to no
more than 28 hours per week; therefore requests for outside employment will be limited to employment outside
the University.
Employment Agreement
Your signature on this employment agreement indicates that you have read and agree to the RA employment agreement
and appointment dates listed. This agreement is contingent upon successful completion of the LISA workshop, obtaining
the necessary GPA/credit hours, and a successful criminal background check. Details regarding specific job
expectations can be found in the staff manual.
RA Signature: ______________________________________________________________________
Date: ________________________
Revision: June 18, 2013